“Shall we, Ms. Carlson?”

“Yes. You have a meeting in ten minutes with Albany Capital.”

He paused. “Are you all right?”

He was such a good man. “No, but I will be.”

When she got to her desk, she was sucked into a vortex of work. Easton went straight into a meeting and Harlow was met by a bunch of messages to return, and a stressed-out Gina to calm down.

Harlow had no time to worry about the fact that she was sleeping with her billionaire boss, or about her father’s troubles. She just sent up a silent prayer that her dad was okay.

At lunchtime, she heard Easton on the phone. When she looked in to his office, he was standing at the window, looking mighty fine. She brought his grilled fish and salad in, and set it on his desk. He smiled at her and her belly warmed.

“Okay, Ma. Yes, I’ll tell her. Tonight. We’ll see you then. Love you.”

Harlow stiffened.

“Thanks for lunch,” he said.

“Who was that?”

“My mother. Gia’s been in her ear, and we’re invited to my parents’ place for a family dinner tonight.”

“Dinner. At your parents’.” Harlow tried not to hyperventilate.

He arched a brow. “Ma’s a fabulous cook. Is there a problem?”

“My father’s in debt and breaking laws, and bad guys are shooting at us. You can’t take me to your parents.”

Easton circled the desk. “It’ll be fine, Harlow. My parents want to meet you. I told Ma everything.”

“Everything?” Harlow squeaked.

“About what’s going on, with your dad.”

God, Harlow wanted the ground to swallow her. “It’s too dangerous.”

“I’ll be there, as well as Vander, Rhys, and Saxon.”

So, a small Norcross Security army. She swallowed. “Fine.”

He kissed her nose.

She sprang back and looked at the open door. “Quit that.”

His phone on his desk rang and he just smiled at her, looking sexy and far-too-tempting.

Back at her desk, her phone was ringing, too. The next few hours were a whirlwind. She fended off a businessman who was determined to get a meeting with Easton to sell him a million-dollar idea. The guy was persistent and creative. He kept calling from different phone numbers and using different voices.

The office started to thin out as people left for the day.

A moment of calm in the storm had her thinking about the upcoming evening. God, she was having dinner with Easton’s parents. They must think he was crazy taking on her mess.

More people left. Easton was still on the phone. The man had no off switch.

When she saw he’d ended the call, she opened his office door.

“Rex Vasquez from Pacifico wants you to call him,” she said.

Easton groaned.

“I told him no.”

Easton’s lips twitched. “Even Mrs. Skilton wouldn’t tell him no.”